This invention relates generally to inflight fan failures, in aircraft, and more particularly to remediation of problems such as smoke creation in aircraft, due to fan failures.
Aircraft groundings resulting from inflight fan failures are a serious concern for airlines and other operators. Smoke creation and flow to aircraft cabins, due to fan failures, leads to such groundings.
Aircraft equipped with cabin air fans, experience failures resulting in the production of smoke and odor in the passenger compartment. The existing thermal protection system as used conventionally in aircraft does not respond to a smoke condition when it results from fan bearing failures and consequent fan impeller contact with the fan housing. A need exists for a solution to this problem that has the following characteristics:                a) detects bearing failure prior to impeller, housing contact        b) removes power to fan and is re-settable by maintenance personnel only        c) capable of being installed on existing fans        d) retrofitable without removing fans from aircraft        e) provides a failure indication to the cockpit crew        f) and may, if desired, contain or employ a built-in test system.        